If you allow your children to use on social media and/or play games like Roblox or Minecraft, you gotta hear this one.

This week on Lady Party, we’re tackling one of the hardest—but most important—conversations every parent and caregiver needs to hear: the rise of sextortion and online child exploitation.

Our guest, Katie Connell, brings nearly 30 years of experience protecting children from predators. She spent 24 years with the FBI, retiring as Unit Chief of the Child Victim Services Unit, where she oversaw the Bureau’s child interviewing program and trained agents and prosecutors across the world. A licensed clinical social worker and child and adolescent forensic interviewer, Katie has testified as an expert witness in both federal and local courts and has published groundbreaking work on how predators exploit images online—and how law enforcement can respond more effectively.

In this episode, Katie helps us understand:

• What “sextortion” really means—and how it happens

• Where predators are finding kids today (hint: gaming platforms are a big one)

• The subtle ways they build trust and access—often invisible to parents

• Why this threat crosses every age, gender, and level of supervision

• What parents can actually do to protect their kids—and how to respond if it happens

This is a heavy topic, but Katie’s compassion and clarity make it approachable, actionable, and deeply necessary. You’ll come away with practical tools, critical insights, and—most importantly—the confidence to have these conversations at home.

Because protecting our kids starts with having the courage to talk about the hard stuff. 💛

Resources Mentioned:

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)

• Thorn

• FBI Victim Services Division